1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper discriminating apparatus for discriminating papers such as paper money, and more particularly an apparatus for discriminating paper money, which is incorporated into an automatic teller machine (hereinafter, referred to as an ATM) for executing transactions such as receipt of money, payment, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ATM for executing transactions such as receipt of money, payment, etc. through an operation of a user is provided with an apparatus for discriminating paper money received and paper money for payment. Hitherto, as this type of paper discriminating apparatus for discriminating papers such as paper money, there is known a paper discriminating apparatus having a line sensor comprising a plurality of sensor devices fixedly arranged in an arrangement direction perpendicularly intersecting with respect to a conveyance direction of papers in which a paper on carrying is scanned utilizing the carrying to obtain image data so that a discrimination of the paper is performed on the basis of the image data.
According to such a paper discriminating apparatus, usually, the sensor devices scan the full range of the paper to obtain the image data. For this reason, there is used a large number of sensor devices. Further, as a method of discriminating papers, usually, there is a method of discriminating papers in which a reference paper is scanned to collect a large number of image data, dictionary data are generated and stored beforehand on the basis of the image data, and the dictionary data are compared with the image data of the paper of interest for discrimination.
It is desired that the cost of a paper discriminating apparatus is saved. To accomplish this requirement, it is considered that the sensor devices constituting the line sensor are thinned to reduce the number of the sensor devices. A ground of reduction of the number of the sensor devices as a technique of the cost saving resides in the point that it may be considered that even if thinning the sensor devices brings about areas of the paper which are not subjected to sensing, this has no great effect on the accuracy of discrimination of the paper based on an image pattern of a whole of the paper.
However, in the event that the sensor devices are simply thinned, a paper will be discriminated on the basis of image data obtained by a line sensor in which the sensor devices are thinned. In this case, there occurs a need that a large number of reference papers are scanned by the line sensor thinned in the sensor devices to collect a large quantity of image data, and new dictionary data are generated over again on the basis of those image data by the use of the line sensor thinned in the sensor devices. However, a lot of time and hand are needed for generation of such dictionary data. Rather, this causes increasing of the cost, and thus there is a fear that the cost saving cannot be attained.